vokaalsete

Vokaalsete is a linguistic term used in Estonian to refer to a group or class of vowels and to vowel-related properties described in grammatical or phonological contexts. The form is derived from the adjective vokaalne (vowel-related) with the plural genitive ending -sete, and it typically appears in phrases that describe sets of vowels within a noun phrase. For example, vokaalsete helide hääldus means the pronunciation of vowel sounds, where vokaalsete modifies the plural noun helide (sounds) in the genitive.

In everyday Estonian, the standalone noun for vowels is vokaalid. However, when describing vowels as a subset within a larger description, the attributive adjective may appear as vokaalsete. This usage is common in scholarly writing, phonology, and typology discussions, where groups of vowels or vowel properties are discussed collectively.

Phonological context: Estonian has a nine-vowel system, comprising a, e, i, o, u, ä, ö, ü, õ. Vowels can be short or long, and length contrasts are phonemic. The language’s vowel inventory interacts with consonant systems and prosody in analyses of syllable structure, stress, and rhythm. While Estonian does not exhibit vowel harmony in the Finnish sense, vowel qualities and sequences remain central to phonological descriptions.

See also: Estonian phonology, Vowels (vokaalid), Morphology of Estonian adjectives, Genitive case, Vowel length in Estonian.